Vladimir Putin Says Gays Won't Be 'Grabbed Off the Street' at Sochi, But 'Leave Children Alone'

Russian President Vladimir Putin was asked about the country's "ban on gay propaganda" while reviewing preparations for the upcoming Olympic Games in Sochi, The Guardian reports:

"We do not have a ban on non-traditional sexual relationships," said Putin in comments reported by Russian agencies. "We have a ban on the propaganda of homosexuality and paedophilia. I want to underline this. Propaganda among children. These are absolutely different things – a ban on something or a ban on the propaganda of that thing."

Putin also added that Russia was more liberal than some other countries, claiming that in certain US states homosexuality was still punishable by law.

"We are not forbidding anything and nobody is being grabbed off the street, and there is no punishment for such kinds of relations," said Putin. "You can feel relaxed and calm [in Russia], but leave children alone please," said Putin.

The questioning was apparently prompted as Putin met with volunteers, who will be wearing outfits designed with rainbow colors.

Comments

Wtf is it with people and equating gays with pedophiles? I have not now nor ever been sexually attracted to a child and the people who are are PEDOPHILES not homosexuals or heterosexuals. And I would rather live in the most homophobic state in the US than anywhere in Russia. The more they talk the more I see politicians have such a narrow and ignorant view of the world.

Posted by: Will | Jan 17, 2014 9:59:41 AM

' claiming that in certain US states homosexuality was still punishable by law'

No Vlad, it's not. You have the internet, use it.

Posted by: Charles | Jan 17, 2014 10:09:54 AM

@Will: Blame ancient Greeks and Romans for that. Although in modern times, the Catholic scandals didn't help much either.

Posted by: bigeorge | Jan 17, 2014 10:17:20 AM

I bet reading Lolita gave Putin a boner. It's alright as long as it's men and little girls, perfectly natural.

Posted by: Oxnard Rick | Jan 17, 2014 10:19:39 AM

Just to clarify, that ^^ was sarcasm, and I was trying to make a point about the irony of the world's best known novel on pedophilia coming out of Russia. The coffee hasn't kicked in yet, so I think I could have done better. :)

Posted by: Oxnard Rick | Jan 17, 2014 10:23:18 AM

He's a fascist pig.

Any athlete that does not loudly condemn Russian fascist homophobia should face condemnation and abuse for collaborating.

The US should have boycotted these appalling games.

Silence = Death.

Posted by: MaryM | Jan 17, 2014 10:30:35 AM

Putin needs to start preparing for the campaign to remove the FIFA World Cup 2018 out of fascist Russia.

Posted by: MaryM | Jan 17, 2014 10:32:58 AM

Like Putin doesn't have a history of grabbing children and kissing them on their bare chests:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd2Z3nXnLD0

Posted by: Scaper | Jan 17, 2014 10:37:55 AM

and if the child is gay?

Posted by: northalabama | Jan 17, 2014 10:40:34 AM

I understand, Oxnard Rick. Early morning caffeine deprivation can be a real downer (LOL).

OTOH, "gay propaganda" that may be available to a child is NOT the same as "pedophilia" or having a primary sexual attraction to prepubescent children. However, whether in Putin's Russia or Museveni's Uganda or Brownback's Kansas, their right wing intelligentsia can't or won't make distinctions in this area, primarily due to willful LGBT bigotry and animus brought on my extreme religious doctrine.

This report shows just how ignorant and bigoted Putin and his government are regarding our community. Therefore, I will continue to shun everything Russian including watching their Sochi Olympic Games.

Posted by: HadenoughBS | Jan 17, 2014 10:41:48 AM

Putin is the one that is abusing children, along with their parents, by creating a dictatorship that leaves the majority of its citizens poor and hungry.

Posted by: Jack M | Jan 17, 2014 10:51:04 AM

Some day this man is going to be murdered.

Posted by: Tigernan | Jan 17, 2014 11:12:52 AM

Maybe Putin was thinking of the bans some states have against gay marriage. Hopefully over time Russians will come to learn that sexual orientation isn't something you choose ( it chooses you ). Also, they need to be made aware that some Russian children happen to be gay, and are being victimized by thugs who feel they've been given license to harass and abuse them. They also need to made aware that pedophilia isn't tolerated in the United States either.
I have a hunch that the Russian Orthodox Church may be where some of this is coming from. I suspect they're suffering from the same internalized homophobia that the Catholic Church is so notorious for.

Every time a Russian opens his/her mouth it just gets worse. "We have a ban on the propaganda of homosexuality and paedophilia....." It is super frustrating because you know that haters love to put homosexuality and paedophilia in the same boat. These people do NOT look at statistics.
Anyone thinking of going to Sochi and putting money into this country ought to have their heads examined.

Has Putin or any authority figure in Russia given an example of what they consider to be "Homosexual Propaganda"? Or more specifically, "What is Homosexual Propaganda?"

Posted by: gb | Jan 17, 2014 2:44:46 PM

GB, yes, around Christmas a group of "experts" came up with a list (it's part of a thousands of pages long document about various things that are supposedly dangerous for minors on the internet:

Discrediting the traditional family model. For example, on many online resources you can find the idea that at the present stage of development of society the traditional model of the family has lost many of its functions and is an obstacle to the free development of personality.

Promotion of alternative models of family relations. For example, many sites that promote non-traditional relationships, cite statistical data on the adoption of children by homosexual and heterosexual couples. Taken out of the broader context, this information can form in children and adolescents an idea that a gay couple can cope with parental responsibilities not worse than a heterosexual one.

Justification for rejection of traditional family values. For example, description of the conditions and situations in which the refusal of traditional family values ​​is acceptable.

Using emotionally charged images for discreditation of traditional family model and promotion of alternative family models. For example, a pair in non-traditional sexual relationships can be represented as bright and charming. For example, a pair in a heterosexual marriage can be represented as coarse and repulsive.

Descriptions of alternative models of family relations. For example, step by step instructions of experiments with non-traditional sexual relationships for adolescents.

Personalized examples. For example, the history and the stories of people who deny the family values, who are in non-traditional sexual relationships, showing disrespect for parents and (or) other family members.

Loss of critical approach. For example, messages containing appeals, orders, comments, suggestions, etc. (containing information about non-traditional sexual relationships [...] conscious and critical perception and understanding of which by a child is difficult…)

And he's not talking about marriage being banned in the US, but about laws criminalizing gay sex (which are on the books in some states, but can't be enforced since Lawrence in 2003). He's made this claim at least once before. I think someone gave him talking points and he doesn't quite understand them.

Yes, Putin won't enforce these laws while the Olympics are underway, much the same way Hitler didn't enforce the Nuremberg laws during the Olympics. As soon as they're over plus a few days to allow everybody to leave, watch out!

Posted by: Shlomo | Jan 17, 2014 8:51:46 PM

He's not altogether wrong.

We can thank our Republican politicians, the Duck Dynasty chest thumpers and religious zealots of all stripes for ensuring that the US lacks all credibility to help gay people whose very lives are in danger in Russia, the Middle East and all those African nations.